What do you want?
by reico
Summary: “You know, there are tons of women out there who are single because they’re so picky.” kenkao,misaoaoshi, sanomeg
1. Chapter 1

What Do You Want?

A.N. This is a trial chapter. I actually only wrote it as a form of stress relief. Eh heh. So, feedback please? I haven't written anything much in about a year so it'd be nice to know how I'm faring, character portrayal wise and all.

Disclaimer : Nope. Don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

* * *

"You know, there are tons of women out there who are single because they're so picky." 

The taller of the two raven haired females, both decked in casual blue jeans and zipped hoodies rolled her eyes.

"Misao, I'm not picky. I just don't want to go out with a guy that I'm not attracted to. Can I help it if all the guys I know are either brothers or stalkers?"

"But you ARE picky. Kaoru, you can't really expect me to believe that every single guy that you know doesn't appeal to you as boyfriend material. Or at least make you consider going out on a date," Misao replied exasperatedly.

Kaoru halted, sipping her iced coffee thoughtfully. Spring wasn't cold enough to make her discard her love of cold drinks.

"No, I guess not all the guys I know can be classified under brothers or potential stalkers but all the ones I'm close to can. Sano is a brother, Katsu is a brother, Aoshi is a brother I suppose since you're like a sister. Shougo was a jerk," she took another sip, pausing.

" The others… definitely jerks and stalkers," she finally said, careful not to look the green eyed girl in the face, knowing the query that was on the tip of her tongue.

"What others?" Misao asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

And there it was. They weren't best friends for nothing. Kaoru sighed. It was time to spill.

"When u went off during term break last year, I kind of went out with this guy. We didn't last long enough for you to know."

Misao furrowed her brows, confused. Kaoru was known for having relationships that always lasted more than 6 months.

"And how come you didn't tell me about him after I came back?" she asked.

Kaoru leaned forward, surprised at the hurt in Misao's tone.

" Honestly, I didn't really want to remember him. And in all the excitement of you coming back, I guess he just got pushed to the back of my mind."

She was somewhat afraid to ask why but curiosity got the better of her.

"Why didn't you want to remember?"

Kaoru managed a tight smile, recalling the reason why she was dumped.

"Apparently I was more of a rival than a girlfriend. He said he felt like he had to top me in everything or he'd respect himself less. Something to do with his self-esteem."

Being at the top of kendo classes when she was young brought out the competitive side in Kaoru. Close friends understood that she needed to feel the satisfaction of winning but others did not. Suitors, especially, were wary of her need to achieve after a while, in the end claiming that being with her put too much pressure on them.

Sure, she was pretty used to it but it still hurt to hear those words. It was like digging a knife into an old wound. Of course, pride had not let her cry in front of Soujirou but she had shed a tear or two. He was a pretty decent guy other than the fact that he dumped her.

Still, she had bought a tub of ice cream, some cocoa powder and rented a movie. Add a big mug of ice blended chocolate to a good action movie and it equals to a not so depressed Kaoru.

"Seems more like he wasn't man enough to keep up with you," Misao grunted, breaking the silence.

Kaoru laughed before smiling brightly at her not so pleased friend. Misao's bluntness may be painful to others but she had always thought of her statements as more amusing than harmful.

"But, don't go swearing yourself into staying single forever just yet okay? Love happens when you least expect it remember?" Misao said.

"Since when were you into clichés? And I don't want to fall in love with a lawyer who thought I was a client's kid!" Kaoru retorted, laughing at the memory of how her friend had met Aoshi.

"Hey!"

* * *

Sagara Sanosuke drummed his fingers on the armrest, waiting impatiently for his girlfriend to get ready. At 24, he was more mature than he was when they had first met but certain things never change. Like how he always had to wait for her. 

"Oi fox, could you take any longer?" Sano asked the door of her room, frustrated.

"Yeah, yeah. Hang on…" Megumi flung open the door, eyes searching frantically for the footwear identical to the black espadrille adorning her right foot.

Sano watched amusedly as his normally calm and dignified girlfriend tried to balance with only one of those high shoes she adored on while she scrambled around her apartment. It was times like these that made her so endearing and dare he say it, adorable.

The pleased look on her boyfriend's face halted her search. In fact, it made her suspicious. Just a minute ago, he sounded so annoyed and now… he was grinning at her.

"You have my shoe don't you? Give it!" Megumi demanded, taking an accurate guess.

Sano laughed before pulling out the shoe from under one of the cushions but refused to surrender it so easily to her. Quirking his lips into a smirk, he raised his eyebrows, baiting her.

She pursed her red lips before storming over to him, although the fact that she was only wearing one heel dampened the effect. Megumi thumped him easily on the head, wiping the smug look off his face and grabbed her shoe.

"Oww that hurt, woman! What if I get a concussion?" Sano exclaimed, rubbing his head gingerly.

"Oh you'll be fine. You deserve it for making us later than we already are," she informed him, slipping the espadrille on, tying the ribbons easily.

"They won't mind," He grinned, watching as she stood, brushed the wrinkles off her dress before he walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Megumi jumped as she felt him embracing her. She looked up at him and smiled before saying, "You know, I love the fact that you're taller than me. I don't have to wear flat shoes all the time."

Sano laughed before leaning forward and whispered," And I love the fact that I'm the only one who's allowed to see how cute you can be."

He pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss before grabbing her hand, tugging her gently towards the door. Megumi allowed herself to be lead out the door, her mind trying to process what she had just heard.

In all 23 years of her life, she has been called beautiful, sexy, elegant, pretty, hot and just about anything but cute. In fact, Sano would be the first. A pretty blush spread over her cheeks, which was saying something because Takani Megumi rarely ever blushes. She looked at the head of spiky brown hair and a smile graced her features.

She was in love.

* * *

"Aoshi!" Misao squealed before throwing herself onto the tall dark haired man. Aoshi returned the embrace and offered what could be called a smile for a man of his personality. 

"So this is Misao's famous 'Aoshi-sama' huh?" Katsu grinned. He had to admit he was surprised though. A minute and he could tell that the two were different as could be. Misao was being the chatterbox that she was while her sweetheart was all quiet. Sighing, he could do nothing but hope this icy man didn't break her heart.

Laughing, Kaoru reached over to give Katsu a hug before apologizing, "Sorry we're late. Took us some time to find the place."

"Are the two of you new in town?" It was the red head that she had not noticed earlier who spoke.

"Yup. Me and Kaoru moved here just last week. Takes some time for us to get around town," Misao chirped.

Kaoru couldn't resist getting a dig in on Sano," Of course it doesn't help that Sano has horrible handwriting and even worse map drawing skills."

The red head let out a deep chuckle before extending his hand," Himura Kenshin. I recall being stuck on the opposite side of town once under Sano's instructions."

Eyes twinkling and lips twitching, she shook his hand and introduced herself, "Kamiya Kaoru."

"And that weasel over there is Makimachi Misao."

Misao whirled around and glared at Sano before snapping, "Oh shut up you rooster head. Took you long enough to get here! Even us newbies managed to get here earlier than you, no thanks to your horrid map."

Sano laughed before saying," Hello to you too. Sorry we're late."

Kaoru looked up at the tall model like figure by his side, clad in a dark blue dress. With her long straight hair and sharp dark eyes contrasting with her clear fair skin, Sano's girlfriend was pretty. Very pretty.

And apparently Katsu thought so too.

"I still don't know how the heck the rooster head over here managed to get a girl like you?"

Sano scowled," What's that supposed to mean?"

Megumi laughed and greeted the other two men at the table, "Hello Ken-san. Aoshi."

Aoshi merely nodded before his attention went back to the girl at his side who blinked in surprise before introducing herself.

"Makimachi Misao. Are you Sano's girlfriend?"

Megumi turned towards the petite green eyed girl in white clinging to Aoshi. "Yes I am. Makimachi-san, correct? I'm Takani Megumi."

"Ah. Megumi-san. You're the one Sano calls fox then?"

Megumi's smile faltered and she sent a glare to Sano who was off talking to Kaoru. The hairs at the back of his neck stood and he knew he was in trouble.

Smiling sheepishly at his girlfriend, he pushed Kaoru in front of him as if using her to shield him. Kaoru, surprised by her sudden relocation, let out a confused, "Hi?"

Used to having eyes on her and opinions being formed based on what people saw, Megumi unconsciously started judging others at first glance as well. Sweeping her smouldering cinnamon eyes over Kaoru's long dark hair pulled into a ponytail, her first thought was how simple the girl was. And as she took in the barely there make up and casual outfit, she soon decided that the girl wasn't someone she would want to be with everyday.

Kaoru could feel the eyes of the taller girl slowly _analyzing_ her. There just wasn't another word for it. She was no mind reader but the look on the taller woman's face seemed to get more and more… superior. Which pissed her off.

Raising her eyes, she looked at Sano's girlfriend in the eye and merely said, "Kamiya Kaoru" before extending a hand.

Her tone and the look in her eyes however, did not escape Sano's attention. The spiky haired man winced as he heard the icy undertone in his long time friend's voice. Kaoru was known for having tempers that flare up as quickly as they cooled down. And Megumi, well, her tongue was as sharp as a knife.

Megumi looked at the extended hand, as if letting the blue eyed girl know that she did not intend to make friends with her. She was surprised when she saw the blazing blue eyes glaring back at her, daring her. And she was never one to back down from a dare.

"Kaoru? Sano's gym buddy? And here I thought you were a guy from all the things I hear about you. I mean, you even have a unisex name."

Kaoru's temper snapped and all subtlety flew out the window along with any consideration for Sano.

"And you must be the really high maintenance girlfriend who's been eating up his money, judging from that thing on your neck."

Katsu tried to suppress his laughter as he caught the panicked glances that the rooster head kept sending him and guessed that something had pissed Kaoru off again.

Kenshin raised an eyebrow at Katsu, who had suddenly gone quiet in the middle of their conversation and looked rather like… a ripe tomato. A very ripe tomato. His friend took a big gulp of water before whispering gleefully, "Sano is going to get it from the two ladies."

Kenshin looked up and caught bits of the verbal fight that seemed to be heating up between Sano's girlfriend and the other girl.

"Oh?"

"Heck yeah. Megumi is gonna lash out at him about Kaoru. And Kaoru is gonna prepare a 3 course meal for him tomorrow."

"I thought Sano loved getting free food," Kenshin replied, furrowing his eyebrows. As far as he could remember, Sano had never turned down an invitation to freeload when it comes to food.

"Not Kao's food. Her food is poison, I tell you. I've known her since I was 11 and she has never made a decent meal once." Katsu shuddered at the memory of having to endure attempt after attempt.

"You've known her that long? I'm surprised she's on speaking terms with you." Yet again, Kenshin was puzzled. Both men had broken out of their very distinct personality traits and both involving the Kamiya woman.

Katsu laughed at the comment before explaining, "It'd feel so… wrong. Kind of incestuous for me cause we've known each other for more than 10 years. She's an only child, I'm an only child and we used to live close together. So I guess you could say, she's the sister that I never had. Besides, don't you think it'd be hard to try to flirt with someone who knows just about every embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

"And just what are those embarrassing things?"

"They're called embarrassing for a reason, red. Alright, I think it's time to save Sano's butt."

Katsu stood up and threw an arm around Kaoru's shoulders. He grinned at Megumi before announcing, "Less talk, more food. A hungry man is a grouchy man."

Sano mouthed a quick "thanks" before steering his girlfriend to her seat, hoping that Katsu would be sensible enough to place Kaoru somewhere near Misao. If there was a person who could deal with Kaoru's temper, it was the weasel.

* * *

Kaoru sighed, content after the nice long shower she took. The dinner was… pretty eventful. Sure, it was nice to see Katsu and Sano again along with being saved from instant food. And she had never minded making a new acquaintance, or better yet, friend. What she didn't like about the dinner, was the constant bickering that had gone on with Sano's girlfriend. 

She had not paid much attention to Sano's warning of how sharp Megumi's tongue was. Instead, Kaoru had laughed and told him that he was being overly cautious.

Toweling her wet hair, she moved to sit on the couch and stretched, resting her legs on one of the many boxes cluttering their room.

Overall, she rather enjoyed the little get together. She had not been able to spend much time with Katsu ever since he had moved which was around a year ago. Sano she still met up with regularly at the gym where she and Katsu had first met him a few years back. The longer haired man, however, had a more demanding schedule which he did not dare defy, being so close to the bottom of the journalism food chain.

But she had to admit, she had been a little bored once in a while. When group conversations took a backseat, they started pairing off. Misao and Aoshi, she was used to and she didn't mind quite so much. She found herself feeling miffed when Sano and Katsu were engaged with the two people she had just met but later chided herself for being so bitter.

Megumi the fox, she had decided, would be her verbal punching bag.

It was Sano and Katsu's red haired friend, Himura who sparked her curiosity. Physical attractiveness aside, he seemed to possess some sort of presence that made everyone acknowledge him each time he spoke. Maybe that was what people called charisma. But whatever it was, it was something she could use. Being not so tall had its certain disadvantages sometimes.

When he talked to her, she found that it was close to impossible to tell if he was really interested. One of the things that put her off about going on dates, especially first dates, was the conversations. The feeling of your date pretending to be interested or worse yet, showing boredom, was not very pleasant and often left a dent in one's self-esteem. But this man had seemed to absorb everything and seemed genuinely content with her talk.

In fact, he was so sincere it made her suspicious.

A thought suddenly stuck her. Misao was right. She _was_ picky.

Groaning, she tossed the towel into the temporary laundry basket nearby. She knocked on the bathroom door, letting Misao know that she was claiming the couch for the night before she plopped herself down on said makeshift bed and drifted off.

* * *

Sano ran a hand through his spiky mane out of habit before walking in the open door of his friends' apartment and headed directly to the mock bar countertop of the kitchen.

"Did you lock the door?" Aoshi questioned.

Sano grabbed the bottle of beer laid out for him and took a sip before muttering, "Yeah, yeah."

Katsu burst out laughing before asking, "What's the matter? Megumi beat you up about Kao?"

"Tch. Course she did."

"How'd you know the other girl? She wasn't from high school or college, was she Aoshi?"

The icy man shook his head at Kenshin, saying," Misao said they met at the gym."

"Jou-chan was with Katsu over here who I hadn't seen in ages. If I remember correctly, she was waving dumb bells around, threatening to kill him," Sano elaborated. "And like the true friend that he is, he used me as a shield a split second after recognizing me."

Katsu grinned," What can I say? Kaoru is scary with a weapon."

"I reckon she's scarier with her cooking, which I bet she is going to feed to me tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Sano, weren't we supposed to drop the tv off at that repair shop after we check out that gym?" Kenshin asked.

Sano blinked, his mind quickly forming a plan to save him from Kaoru's wrath.

"How bout we drop the tv off then you come with me to help Jou-chan and the weasel fix up their furniture? She wouldn't dare cook with you around. We can look around the gym some other day or drag Jou-chan along with us after we're done."

Aoshi stood and tossed a random cushion at Sano.

"Don't call her weasel, rooster."

Sano laughed, throwing the cushion back at him.

"And where are you going, protector of the weasel?"

"Bed."

Katsu snickered before saying, "Probably went to call Misao." Swinging his bottle of beer to his lips, he took a big gulp of the liquid, before regretting the move a second later when the back of his head met with the same cushion Sano had been hit with.

Kenshin chuckled, "What is this? A pillow fight? Sorry guys, pillow fights are only enjoyable when females are participating."

An hour and four empty beer bottles later, Kenshin and Sano headed back to their shared flat.

"So, Kenshin. Save me from Jou-chan's cooking?"

Kenshin smirked and nodded in compliance. Sunday was leisure day. And it would be fun to watch the little missy give Sano hell.

Scratch that, she was interesting enough on her own.


	2. Chapter 2

It was like deja vu. Sipping her iced coffee and listening to her best friend rant about her _still _single status. Kaoru sighed and rubbed her temples, easing the ache that was slowly building up.

"Misao, I don't mind being single right now. I like having the me time. I like being able to change my mind about a heck load of things without having to be worried about what he thinks. I like being able to just hang out with my friends without having someone being jealous," Kaoru explained.

"But --"

"Besides, if it's about having someone being protective about me and to care about me, I have you and Megumi and all my guy friends who fall under the brother category. And if it's about having someone of the opposite sex making me feel feminine or to pay attention to me, well, that's what all the other guy friends are for. And if it's about the flattery, I suppose all the potential stalkers can fulfill that, in their own goosebump-raising ways," Kaoru continued, shuddering at the last thought.

Misao leaned back, pondering her companion's words before speaking wistfully," Oh but Kaoru, a relationship is more than just all that. It's the way you feel when you're with someone and how the two of you get through things together. Grow together, learn about each other, you know?"

Kaoru smiled tightly.

"It's not that easy, Misao. Some of us aren't quite as lucky as you. After all, Aoshi is your third boyfriend and second real one if you don't count that wimp. I mean, look what my ex boyfriends turned out to be. One was as hot tempered as I am. Another was more concerned about himself than he was about me. And another thought I wasn't subdued enough or elegant enough. Sou thought I wasn't girlfriend material either."

"But majority of your relationships lasted for about half a year. That's telling me that they weren't just flings to you."

The blue eyed girl shook her head, saying, "Still, if none of them made it to a year, that's saying something. Misao, I know you want me to be happy but for once, I don't want to have to adapt myself. For once, I don't want to go looking or thinking of the type of man I want."

Misao pouted.

"Picky!"

* * *

Kenshin smiled at the sight of Kaoru. He liked her. She was interesting, with her adorable reactions and sense of humour. Of course, it didn't hurt that she had hair that was thick enough to make him want to run his fingers through, eyes a gorgeous shade of blue and that she had enough flesh to make her slim and not skinny. 

"Hello Kenshin," she flashed a smile at him. "Where's the rooster?"

Kenshin flashed her a grin, one that he knew looked good on him.

"Asleep. He was out late with Megumi."

Kaoru set her water bottle next to her treadmill and adjusted the settings on her chosen machine before replying, "I guess it's just you and me then, huh?"

"I guess so. And I sure am enjoying it."

Her head sprung up, caught off guard by his vague comment. She decided to ignore it and turned on the treadmill. Better to go with something she was sure of than to chase the maybes and perhaps. It was no use denying the fact that the red head beside her was attractive. With his fiery and exotic colouring, he stood out. But his facial structure and features made him stand out in a good way. He was no typical tall, dark and handsome Mr. Right but she didn't mind the height. Having a man towering over her had never appealed to her. And while he may not be tall or particularly dark, he was handsome. And with that body...

Kaoru shook the thought away and turned her focus onto the workout she had planned for the day. Besides, good looks were one thing but personality was another. She was pretty close to him after joining the gym both he and Sano frequently visited but not close enough to judge for sure. After all, this was the first time the two of them had spent time together, other friends and acquaintances aside.

* * *

Kaoru laughed heartily, listening to the red head's story of how Sano acted the last time he was drunk. 

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she smiled fondly, commenting," Some things never change. And back home, we used to wonder if he had turned into some country club rich boy. But he has matured, even if he doesn't know it."

Kenshin nodded his agreement. "Things change, people adjust to situations. Though I do think that Megumi has something to do with it."

"That girlfriend of his?" she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "She's snobby."

Kenshin shrugged, "She's not the spoilt brat or the kind of woman who uses people. There's more to her. I've known her for quite a while and I do know that she does care about Sano, even though they are notorious for their bickerings."

Kaoru fidgeted with her straw, uneasy. She had indirectly insulted the man's friend with her body language and careless words. She cursed herself inwardly for not thinking before she did something.

Kenshin smiled inwardly. It was no surprise that the woman disliked Megumi, judging from Sano's words the day after their little get together.

'I'm telling you, the look on Jou-chan's face terrified even me! I am never, ever in my life going to leave those two alone.'

He found it interesting that this blue eyed female could make having a temper so amusing. After all, he usually clashed with people who owned tempers alike his, annoying him immensely.

"I'm sorry."

Kenshin blinked, surprised. "What for?"

Kaoru could not believe this man. He was good looking enough, wasn't he? It wasn't fair that a man, a male could look attractive in different ways depending on what his facial expression was.

"Well, I mean, I just insulted your friend."

"You don't sound very sorry," He remarked, accompanied with another one of those amused little grins of his.

"I _am _sorry I insulted your friend but I'm free to have my impressions of people and I'm not sorry for deeming her snobby," she shrugged.

"A little too soon to judge, don't you think?" An eyebrow raised.

"No. She's just Sano's type. The tall, ever so beautiful one with impeccably perfect everything who in the end breaks his heart," she pursed her lips, recalling the rooster's previous relationships.

"Sano is... still human. As tough as he always seems or as goofy as his smiles get, he gets hurt too," she elaborated. "I'm sure you of all people would have known that," she finished off quietly.

While she had known Katsu longer than Sano, she was closer to the latter. Of course she loved them both like she would a brother had she any siblings. But Katsu was like the social butterfly who tended to leave her out when he got too caught up, unintentionally of course. She knew it and she didn't mind it. Not until Sano had moved away.

Sano had always been sort of her protector. She had missed him terribly and was thankful that Misao came along a while after. Her chattiness made up for Sano's loud character.

"I thought you didn't know who I was." Kenshin's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Oh I didn't but I knew that he had a real good friend that he met in high school and all. He once mentioned that he was going to flat with that said friend or something similar. So, that'd have to be you, no?"

Kenshin smiled. This girl was sharp.

* * *

"Ouch! That hurt you weasel!"

Misao snorted," Oh be a man, Katsu. That was just a pillow. You can go 'Ouch ouch!' when I throw a frying pan at you."

Sano laughed, choking on his water and earning himself a loud thump on the back from Katsu.

"Oi. What was that for? You deserved that comment. Do you want me to go tell Aoshi that you've been calling his sweetheart a weasel?" Sano shot him a dirty look.

Katsu scowled back in retaliation before turning to Misao. "What's up? You seem different."

"Me? I'm fine." Misao replied. "Of course I'm fine. I'm happily involved with Aoshi. You know who's not fine?" she demanded.

"Who?" both men curiously responded.

"Kaoru, that's who! That girl thinks that having a boyfriend is the same as having the two of you and other guy friends! I mean, come on. How is it the same? And if it was the same, why would people want to be in relationships then? Sometimes I wonder if she actually _liked_ those guys she went out with. Didn't she feel anything special? I mean, even if things didn't work out in the end, there has to have been some kind of feeling at the beginning right? Right??" Misao rambled, waving her hands around wildly to emphasize her words.

Katsu and Sano nodded slowly, wide eyed.

"See? Even you two know that. So why on earth can't she –"

The sound of the door opening and slamming interrupted Misao and the three of them whirled around to see Kaoru coming in with Kenshin behind her. A side of Misao's lips kicked up and a mischievous sparkle appeared in her blue-green eyes as she took in the smiles on their faces and the pink rosy tint on her friend's cheeks.

"Well, well, well. So this is why you're late, Kao? Out on a date? And weren't you the one who said this morning that you didn't want to adapt anymore?" she teased.

Kaoru's smile dropped into a scowl and Kenshin's turned into a chuckle. Beating Kaoru to responding, he said, "We just went for a late lunch after gym."

Grinning, Sano jumped in on the fun. "Well, aren't you two glad that I slept in then?"

Kaoru rolled her eyes, walked over to where he was and promptly hit him in the arm hard enough to make him groan and complain.

"Man, what is with you girls and your abusive habits?"

Katsu grunted in agreement, throwing in his opinion, "They're only violent when they're with us. I reckon the only way to keep ourselves safe is to keep Aoshi in the same room as us at all times. Then the weasel would forget all about us cause all her attention would be -- oof! Damn it! Why do you have to have such a good aim…"

"While cissy boy over there is recovering, let's focus on something more important," Misao said, with a smirk on her lips. "Your ex-boy called this morning, Kaoru."

Eyebrows raised in surprise, Kaoru asked,"Sou? What did he want?"

"I don't know, he left his number and said to ask you to call him back whenever you can. Anyway, I'll see you guys around. I got a hot date with my man," Misao wiggled her fingers goodbye before rushing out the door.

"Hey Kao, who the heck is this Sou guy? How come I've never heard his name before?" Katsu said, curious. Turning to Sano, he asked "Do you know this guy?"

Sano shook his head. "Jou-chan, who is he? When did you go out with him? What happened? Did he hurt you?" At his last question, Sano's tone turned darker.

Smiling fondly, Kaoru reassured her friend, "No, no. He didn't abuse me or hit me or anything. Don't worry. You guys know that I wouldn't let myself be treated that way."

"Doesn't explain why neither of us knew about him."

"I went out with him for about almost a month during the term break when Misao went to England. Like I told Misao, it probably didn't last long enough for you guys to know about," Kaoru admitted.

"Still, you could have told us about him. Who knows what kind of guy he is?" Katsu asked.

"Katsu, do you seriously think I would be willing to date some psycho murderer on the loose?" Temper flaring, she snapped back at him.

"Well there had to be something wrong with him if your relationship with him didn't make it. Heck, I bet if he hadn't called, you wouldn't have told us about him! So, what happened, Kaoru? What did he do to you?" Dropping the use of her nickname, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What will it take for it to get into your thick head, Katsu, that he did not do anything wrong to me! It was a mutual decision to break off and become friends instead. You don't even know him. Soujirou is not that bad of a guy, okay?" By now, Kaoru had gotten out of her seat and was glaring hard at her long time best friend.

"This is the first time even hearing his name. I don't know what his last name is, what he does, where he comes from or even what he looks like. How am I supposed to know that he's not a bad guy? How am I supposed to know that he treated you right?" He shot back.

Kaoru was furious. "You should be able to trust my choices, trust my judgments! You should be able to trust me!"

"Then explain why, why is it that Misao knows about him and I don't. What is it? Is she a better friend than I was to you all these years that we've known each other?"

She had had enough. "Before you throw a ridiculous tantrum over me not telling you about Soujirou, you should know that Misao only found out about him a week ago. And you know what? I would have told you about him if you had spared even some time to see your best friend once in a while. You were so obsessed and so blindly mad about that whore who ended up cheating on you last year that I didn't even get a single text message for months. Face the facts Katsu. I didn't tell you about Sou because you were too busy to care."

"Is this what this is about? Me spending more time with another girl? Listen to yourself, you sound like a jealous girlfriend," Katsu mocked.

"Katsu, watch it. Even you know that's too much," Sano butted in, recognizing the danger signs.

Raising her chin, she looked Katsu in the face, with blazing eyes.

"No. This isn't about you spending time with someone else. You have your own life. I know that and I get that. But you don't get to just shut me off from your life completely and then turn around and accuse me of taking you for granted when I don't tell you about one small thing. Let me put this in terms that you would understand. You are a selfish bastard. And I am your stupid ex-best friend that is always push to the back of your priority list," She declared, her voice unnaturally calm. "And you know what, this is my apartment. So if you intend on continuing being so immature, you can leave."

Clenching his jaw, Katsu grabbed his jacket and stormed out the door.

Sano glanced between the door and the scarily quiet Kaoru, undecided. Seeing his indecision, Kaoru sighed before telling him, "Go. We all know how reckless Katsu can be."

After he left, Kaoru collapsed onto the couch, pulling her knees close to her chest. She felt like biting her tongue off or something, after being so harsh with Katsu. She hadn't meant to insult him that bad but once she started, she couldn't stop the words coming out. Her anger had once again, taken over. Maybe she should take up anger management lessons, she thought, half-amused.

Kenshin, who had previously been sitting silent, took in the scene before him carefully. So she knew how to take care of herself. He liked a girl who had a backbone and knew how to stand up for herself. But right now, what he thought and what he liked because the girl sure looked like she needed a hug.

Kaoru jumped when she felt the couch shift. Looking up, she was met with the sight of Kenshin's concerned face. She had forgotten about him, which was ironic, as he was the type of person who rarely went unnoticed without having to try. Yes, Kenshin was attractive but at that moment, his red hair and one of a kind coloured eyes annoyed her.

"Kenshin, don't take this the wrong way but you're so colourful it hurts."

Smiling at the randomness of her statement, he said," I'm sorry. I didn't realize my hair colour was that bad."

Lightly smacking him on the arm, she gave a half-hearted smile.

"You know what I mean. It's just that being sad and miserable is always associated with cold colours and your redness is kinda disrupting my purple-blue world."

"Maybe it's a sign. I bring the warmth back into your world," he replied, only half joking.

"Who knows. You know, you don't have to stay here with me. I prefer to be alone after something like oh I don't know, the destruction of a friendship, took place."

"I'll stay for an hour. Just so you know, you don't go all crazy and kamikaze-like."

"And after that I'm free to go kamikaze-like?"

"Yup," here he gave her a grin.

Kaoru gave him a tight smile in response.

* * *

"Thanks for staying with me." 

Kenshin made sure to look her directly in the eye before saying, "Anytime."

He reached forward and gave her a hug that he hoped was more friendly than romantic before leaving. Scaring her off was the last thing he wanted to do.

Closing the door, Kaoru closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Kenshin was great company and while the past hour had made her feel better, she couldn't stop the tears from falling.

* * *

A.N. well i am known to be a procrastinator and i do things according to my mood, so that pretty much explains the super slow updates. anyway, hope my second chapter is enjoyed and leave me a review to let me know what you think. 


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

Sorry, forgot to include the disclaimer for the previous chapter. so no, don't own Rurouni Kenshin. simply borrowing characters from the series.

* * *

Chapter 3

"Hey, it's me. My roommate said u called earlier? What's up?"

"Yeah, I think I'd like that. There's a coffee place two blocks away from where you're staying. Meet you there in say, half an hour?"

"Cool. See you then."

Kaoru hung up the phone and hastily scribbled a note to let Misao know where she would be. Humming to herself, she picked up her mug of hot, _handmade_, hot chocolate and disappeared into her room to get changed.

* * *

Blue eyed and baby faced, Seta Soujirou was used to being cooed at. Dark haired and lean, Seta Soujirou was used to being swooned at. But at 25 and fighting through a medical internship, Seta Soujirou had little time to spare on dating.

So why did he break up with Kamiya Kaoru again?

Dressed in blue jeans, a plain coloured tee under a dark green jacket with a black scarf wrapped around her long pale neck, she was dressed more for comfort and practicality than for fashion. But her dark blue eyes framed by bangs of an even darker shade contrasting with the sharpness of her pale face and the redness of her small pout said otherwise.

She was still pretty.

"Hey Sou. It's been a while. How's that internship going for you?"

He dumped her and she was talking to him like he was a friend? She was trying to have a conversation with him. He took it to mean that she wasn't bitter over their... separation. And that she really did mean that she still wanted to be friends.

She was... forgiving? No, that's not it. She was being mature.

"I'm keeping up. Do you remember how I used to whine about how much work law was compared to commerce? About how much memorizing was needed and how every single detail seemed to matter?"

He nodded his head, remembering the way she had cursed and nearly even cried over her workload.

He watched as her lips widened into a smile and her eyes twinkled as she proclaimed,

"But it paid off. I love law. It's so intriguing... and challenging too, which I guess is the reason why I managed to stick with it even when I start doubting my decision to take it up."

She was smart. Smart enough to get into law, which was incredibly competitive and determined enough to fight for something and not give in.

She was pretty, mature, smart and persistent. Again he had to ask himself, WHY did he dump such a catch?

"Well, I'm sorry to say that I've gotta go. Thanks for initiating this catch-up session. I really did miss your company Sou," Kaoru said.

He smiled, replying, "And I yours, Ms Kaoru. Up for dinner tomorrow night?"

She smiled apologetically and with a slight shake of her head, told him, "Sorry but I can't. I have plans to go to the gym with Kenshin and Sano and then we're going to head for dinner. Unless you'd like to come with?"

This time it was his turn to give an apologetic smile and a shake of his head.

"Nah, I've got morning shift tomorrow and I probably won't get off until late."

"Some other time then? Take care, Sou," and with that said, Kaoru headed off.

She was pretty, mature, smart, persistent AND a tomboy. Now he remembered why he broke up with her. He wouldn't consider himself a sexist but there was something about the strong, independent ones that put him off. It wasn't his fault he was attracted to the feminine, girly damsels. But maybe... just maybe, Kamiya Kaoru was worth another try?

* * *

Misao woke up to the sound of her cellphone. Which then lead to the ultimate search for it, which then lead to falling off the bed and _finally_ finding it tangled up in her sheets. Glancing at the caller ID, she felt a twinge of fondness inside as she hit the answer button.

"Hey baby. How was your flight? Aren't you tired? Why are you calling? You should be getting some sleep. Don't you have that conference early tomorrow morning?" She chided softly.

"One hour less to sleep won't make much of a difference. Did I wake you?"

His soft, deep voice was comforting and soothing. It made her feel warm and cared for, reminded her of dark melted chocolate. And to wake up to his voice was something she would never tire of.

"Mmm.. kind of. Not that I mind though. It's close to noon over here and was bout time I got up anyways. Besides, talking to you beats sleeping anyday."

She could picture his smile as he said, "Really now? If I remember correctly, and believe me I do, you fell asleep on me the other day."

"Aww Aoshi, don't bring that up. It makes me feel guilty... and you know that I love talking to you. I was flat out exhausted from the all-nighter I pulled the night before trying to finish that assignment," Misao couldn't help the pout from forming on her face.

She heard him chuckle lightly before his voice came on again.

"What time did you get to bed last night? You're normally up at 8."

She sighed into the phone before quietly admitting, "I don't know. I physically got into bed at around midnight. But I don't know... got insomniac or something. Took a while to finally get some sleep."

"What's wrong?"

"Always the alert one huh? I don't know. I'm a little stressed I suppose? I'm turning 22 in 5 weeks and I'm not wholly convinced that politics is my passion. You know me, I won't give my all unless it's something I really want. You know me..." Misao trailed off, her attention caught by a picture of her and Aoshi stuck on her wall.

"Politics IS your passion, hime. I don't think I've conversed with anyone else who cares as much as you do about making a change. Human rights, preventing war, fighting poverty, remember? That's your passion. To fight for what you believe in, to fight for what you want," that dark chocolate voice of his encouraging her over the phone.

She was silent, which worried him.

"Misao? Are you alright? What else is bothering you?"

She could hear the worry and concern in his tone which made her lip tremble. She bit down on her lip hard so he wouldn't hear the waver in her voice as she near whispered, "I miss you. And I want a hug so bad."

An hour and a half later, Misao reluctantly hit the red end call button before drawing her knees up to her chest. Was she falling too fast for Aoshi? They were close to their one year anniversary but she felt like she was losing her independence. Not that he controlled her or told her what to do, just that she felt the want so strongly. The want to see him everyday, to hear his soothing voice every few hours, to be held by him every time she thinks of him, it scared her. The more she felt for him, the harder it would be to let go.

If there was one thing Misao was absolute certain about, it was that there are no gurantees in life. One day she was being tucked in by her parents, the next day, her grandfather was the one tucking her in, softly breaking the news that her parents had passed away in a car accident.

The list of people she truly loved and cared for had extended recently from her grandfather and Kaoru to her grandfather, Kaoru _and _Aoshi. Could she really handle losing one of them?

* * *

It had been at least a week since she last saw Kenshin, which was unusual for her as they, along with Sano work out at the gym twice a week. Sano had supplied her with the answer of Kenshin being extremely busy lately when she had questioned the redhead's absence. Needless to say, she was surprised when he called, inviting her and Misao over for a home cooked meal.

Nervously, she rang the doorbell. Misao's grandfather had dropped by and although she was invited for dinner with the two Makimachi's, she thought they could use the time alone. Misao was afterall, pretty down ever since Aoshi went on his business trip. And Sano wouldn't be around because he had a date with that fox woman.

Which left her alone with Kenshin.

She still wasn't quite completely clear on her feelings for the said man. Physical aside, he was a good friend. Attentive, humorous, confident and honest, he had the qualities she wanted in her man. So did she want more than friendship from him? Maybe, maybe not. After all, she still didn't feel like she knew him well enough and Kamiya Kaoru wasn't one to 'fall in love at first sight'. Or to fall in love at first few conversations. And so the question still remains, boyfriend or friend?

Shoving the thought aside as she heard the sound of keys turning, she couldn't help the smile on her face as she was greeted with the sight of Kenshin in all his red haired glory dressed in dark jeans, a white t-shirt... and a bright yellow apron.

"Well hello Mr. Sunshine," she teased, the smile unwilling to go away anytime soon.

Infected, he smiled back and swept in her dark jeans, striped top, scarf and black knit cap before replying, "Hello to you too, Ms. Artist. Am I still too bright for your purple-blue world?"

"Honestly, no. I think that world could use some of Mr. Sunshine's colour," her smile grew bigger.

"Touché."

Over dinner, Kaoru discovered several things. Kenshin was good in the kitchen ( best carbonara pasta she'd ever had ). And he was good in the kitchen because the task of cooking was left between him and his guardian. From his stories, she could conclude that his guardian was worse at cooking than she was. And that he had a guardian because he was a foster child. And that he wasn't too sure on his heritage besides the fact that he has to have some Japanese blood in him due to his last name. Which was the same last name as the registered father on his birth certificate.

Oh and also that he's 26 and a corporate lawyer who was successful for his age, like Aoshi. She did not see that one coming.

"You're 26?! For real? I thought u were my age. Or at least Sano's," her blue eyes widened in surprise.

Kenshin nodded before defending himself," Yes I'm 26. And you make it sound like I'm 10 years older or something. You're only 4 years younger than myself."

Lips pursed as she considered his words, she agreed," True. I guess it's the corporate lawyer thing that makes you sound older. More, dare I say it, mature."

"Hey! Watch what you say, youngling," he bantered, that smile still stuck on his face.

Raising an eyebrow at his choice of word, she retorted," You sound like Yoda, old man. Anyway, I'm curious, how did you get to your position so fast? I mean for someone only a few years out of uni, that's pretty impressive."

"I'd be lying if I said that my guardian didn't play a role in that. He's pretty well known in the corporate world, not the most famous or the richest but he has his contacts. He got me a position in one of his friend's companies. Not anywhere high on the office food chain of course but not the bottom of it either and from there on, just hard work and luck I guess," he explained. "And probably good intuition," he added as an afterthought.

After dinner, they put on an action movie that Kaoru had brought over and snuggled up on the couch. Half and hour into the movie, Kaoru fell asleep. And almost fell off the couch.

Tucking a thick blanket around her, he smiled at the picture she made. Wrapped in the black hoodie he lent to her and her limbs sprawled out at odd angles, she looked absolutely adorable. He was by no means, a large man but his hoodie made her look so small and fragile. Kenshin had never understood the trend of couples sharing clothes, especially the ones similar in size, but seeing her like that gave his ego a slight boost. Needless to say, he would NOT be squeezing into any of Kaoru's jumpers anytime soon. Or anytime at all, actually.

Kenshin was immensely attracted to Kaoru and he knew it. She was pretty, mature, smart, persistent with a streak of tomboy. And he had to admit, she made tomboy attractive. He was all for girls in skirts but she looked as good in jeans as she did in the occasional skirt. And he had to agree with the phrase 'No man wants to wake up to a woman who looks drastically different from the woman he went out with the night before'.

Oh and did he mention kendo? A woman who was good enough to be assistant master at her family dojo? This girl is full of surprises. Mentally thanking his lucky star that he had some time alone with her tonight, he considered the things he learnt about her.

Growing up as a single child under the watchful eye of her dojo running father, she had an extremely strong relationship with her father, especially after her mother succumbed to cancer. Hence, the tomboy streak of not caring about looks or image, further enforced by her close friendship with Katsu, the boy next door. Her femininity brought out by Misao in the later years of her teenage hood, she was in his opinion, the perfect mix. He was definitely looking forward to getting to know her better.

Throwing another smitten glance at her, he took out his cell phone and sent a text to Misao,

_Just thought you'd want to know, Kaoru fell asleep halfway tru the movie and she looked too comfortable to be moved. Oh and you're right. She's definitely worth the chase. _

A little shorter than the previous two chapters but hope the dialogues are more understandable. as usual, let me know what you guys think?


	4. Chapter 4

I am known as the laziest and the biggest procrastinator alive. Sorry for that! Again, do not own RK. Thanks for reviewing and reading.

Chapter 4

Mumbling incoherently, Kaoru slowly opened her eyes. Or tried to anyway. Slowly counting down from ten in her head, she launched herself into a sitting position. And then promptly fell back into her cosy nest of warmth.

Five seconds later, she shot up with wide eyes. Her surroundings were oddly familiar... yet they weren't familiar enough to be recognised.

"Not a morning person eh?" Kenshin's voice drifted to her.

Groggily, she rubbed her eyes before letting them focus on him.

"Sadly, no. Sorry for imposing on you. I had no idea how tired I was and I think your couch is too comfortable for my own good. Ah... you should have woken me so you could have your house back to yourself," Kaoru rambled on, flustered and embarrassed that he had seen her fall asleep. She was by no means, a graceful lady when asleep.

Flashing a quick smile to communicate her gratitude, she silently hoped he wouldn't think she was ungrateful. The truth was, she never slept well unless she was in her own bed. With exception of course, to last night. Maybe it was the insanely delicious food he made for dinner, or the thick warm blanket he tucked around her or maybe his couch was just made for her. Whatever it was, she definitely was a happy woman, having slept so comfortably.

Kenshin smiled in return and told her he had set out a new toothbrush if she wanted to freshen up. And when she left, he fell back on the couch with his head in his hands.

Good lord, the things her smile did to him!

* * *

Kaoru rolled her eyes as she stumbled onto her bed and away from her crazed roommate. Since Kenshin had dropped her off and walked her to her apartment door, Misao had been absolutely merciless.

"Just friends huh, Kao? You sure bout that?"

Gritting her teeth, Kaoru let out a tense, "Yes, just friends Misao. Leave it at that."

Misao replied," Aww, you must have had a bad night huh. You always do when you're away from home".

Shrugging, Kaoru responded, "Not really. Actually, I slept really really well. I wonder why... must have been tired or something."

Eyes twinkling, Misao slyly said, "You know why you slept so well? Because of his smell! No, don't look at me like that Kaoru. I'm not a pervert but hey, don't you know why girls love to cuddle with their man and nick their shirts to wear to sleep? Because of that manly, comforting smell!"

It was at this point that Kaoru walked away, red faced as Misao's giggles echoed through their home.

Sighing, Kaoru could not help but wonder if Misao was right. Kenshin smelled of masculinity and sandalwood and his couch smelled just like him. It was calming and soothing, just as his presence was. And it _was_ sweet of him to tuck her in last night and walk her to the door this morning. Chivalry was still somewhat alive, she supposed.

Successful, intelligent, a gentleman and talented in the kitchen. Can the man do no wrong? At this rate, she was going to want to marry him! The more she thought about it, the more attractive she found him. But did she really have the time and the energy to sustain a relationship right now?

It was like a battle of table tennis. Her thoughts kept bouncing back and forth between what a great guy Kenshin was and how tiring relationships could be. On one hand, he was everything she had never met in a guy before. He cooked well, cleaned well, spoke well, dressed well and most importantly, treated her well. She felt respected and she felt like an equal. Throughout all the time they spent together, in and out of the gym, she never felt suffocated or neglected by him. She could see how he managed to maintain his successful position. With his intelligence and his presence, it wouldn't be hard for him to gain the respect of his colleagues. Especially those who initially doubted his skills or thought of him as a brat with great access because of his guardian.

On the other hand, she had yet to learn of his flaws. The more you get to know someone, the more you see the different sides of people. And to be completely honest, she liked what she saw of him so far. She didn't want to be disappointed when she discovers a trait that she had no tolerance for. Perfection does not exist in her vocabulary but there are certain faults that she had less patience for than others.

And then back to how highly she thought of him. Kenshin got along great with people everywhere. She was a sucker for men who were confident but quietly so. Nothing screamed insecurity louder than a cocky personality. He was outgoing and social, which she definitely approved of. Though she supposed, he had to be, being in the business world and all.

But then, say she was interested in going out with him. Would he be interested in her? And say he was and they started going out. What if his feelings suddenly faded away or his interest in her started to slip? It would be excruciatingly painful for that to happen, considering the fact that she knew she would fall hard for a man like Kenshin once she committed to him.

Groaning in frustration, she picked up the phone and punched in a sequence of numbers that she knew by heart but had not made use of recently. She desperately needed the help before she drove herself mad.

* * *

Sanosuke may have a reputation as a freeloader but he was also incredibly perceptive of people. For some reason, he could see through most facades.

It was for this reason that sometimes, Megumi wished her boyfriend wasn't so darn sharp.

"Megumi, I've been wondering bout this for a bit now. Why is it that you dislike Jou-chan so much? I mean, you guys never met before so why all the tension whenever you two meet?"

Megumi stiffened at the question. She knew it was going to come up sooner or later but she just didn't know how to tell him.

"I don't... dislike her per say. It's just... there's something about her that rubs me the wrong way I guess." There, that was as honest as she was going to get.

Sano frowned, knowing that she was hiding half the truth. She may act all cold and distant sometimes but he knew her and he knew her well enough. He said, "It doesn't have anything to do with her not dressing like a magazine model, does it?"

She could sense an argument boiling. Sighing, she gave in. She was tired from late night studying and she figured he'd get it out of her sometime anyway. "Do you really think of me as that shallow? Yes, I admit I may have been snobby to her partly because of that but the other times... the way she looks at me. It's always so hostile and I can't help but be on the defence."

"Well maybe if you tried to be nicer to each other, you two could get along," Sano suggested.

This of course, was the wrong thing to say. Megumi's exhaustion coupled with her fiery nature caused her to snap at him, "In case you haven't realised you rooster, it takes two to tango. Two hands to clap. I will not back down from the challenge she issues and I will not be so desperate to beg for her kind attention when she glares at me like that."

And with that, she stormed out of his apartment and back into her own.

* * *

Sipping on her drink, Kaoru smiled happily as she watched her group of friends laugh their worries away. Katsu threw the best parties and she was glad they had made up. He was still, one of her dearest friends and was definitely someone she needed in her life.

She felt a hand wrap itself around her waist and guide her to the kitchen. Looking up, she recognised the exotic eyes twinkling back at her. Her breath caught at the expression on his face. His eyes seemed... wilder and his lips were quirked into a wicked smile that she could not help but find sexy. There was something about him tonight that made her heart beat a whole lot faster. Kenshin seemed more... free and unrestrained. Must have been the alcohol kicking in.

They were nestled into a little crook next to the fridge, so that they would be undisturbed by the other tipsy occupants. Leaning closer, Kenshin whispered, "We need to talk."

Kaoru's already pink cheeks reddened even more at the attention he was paying her. Damn it, he was even better good looking up close. And she could feel the hard planes of his body under her palms as he pressed closer. His body definitely was as solid as it looked.

Smirking at her red cheeks and her lack of response, he continued speaking, "I don't play mind games so I'll go straight to the point. I'm interested in you and I'm interested in pursuing you. What do you say?"

Her brain seemed to have deserted her. She couldn't think when he was looking at her like that, when he was so close.

"Ar– Are you s-sure?" She internally winced as she heard herself stammer. She was a strong woman! Men did not make her stammer! What was wrong with her?

Without warning, Kenshin dipped in and pressed his lips to hers. It was not the most passionate kiss but it was definitely no chaste display of affection. Still, it left her breathless when he pulled back. Her heart raced even faster and her blue eyes widened as she heard him whisper huskily, "That's how sure I am. Are you?"

Looking up at him, Kaoru made her decision. It was her turn to whisper, "You know, I've always wondered what it's like to be kissed with my back against the wall."

Needless to say, Kaoru soon found out what that felt like.

* * *

Sorry if there are grammar or spelling errors. Wrote that in one go and didn't really check much. Also, sorry if the KenKao kiss was kinda awkward. I felt so awkward writing that bit... hehe. well, hope you guys liked it anyway.


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